Dope Sick Love

This movie provides a real look at what addiction and life on the streets can be like. I'm sure some of the scenes were partially stages, or re-recorded to protect identities, but other than that, this is as real as it gets.

One of the most macabre, depressing, yet eye-opening docs. I've watched in awhile. There's no narration or story that's told, just a "third eye" type camera following around 2 couples of heroin addicts in NYC through the seasons. Watching them shoot up on the floors of public washrooms then "clean" their needles in the public toilets... sometimes it's a bit too much and you need to hit pause just to go for a breather.

Anyone currently in recovery of alcohol/drug addition should watch this when they're craving - it really shows you to what you could be going back to! After seeing this it's a wonder how anyone could even try this drug to begin with.

The only thing it needed was a follow up at the end to tell where these people are today. Judging from what is shown in the doc., there's no hope for any of them. They mention wanting to get better and quit, but it seems the only end to their habits is to quit by way of dying.

This definitely isn't for all audiences. I found myself kind of like watching a car accident - after I started watching it I just couldn't turn it off. I had to keep watching with a dark/morbid fascination of what it's like inside the lives of these addicts.

I was a paramedic for ten years during the worst of the opiate crisis and in the course of my daily duties I encountered people like this all the time I firmly believe that this should be shown to high school students so they can see the ugly side of drugs, and especially the desperation to make enough money for the next high. Note that they never eat. They just get high.

When this doc was made, another was Add at the same time, here in NYC: UNION SQUARE THE MOVIE. Both of these featured people from the same group

I was in the latter film, my best friend (Sebastian) was in this.

It's '12, and both of us are not on the street. He lives with me, and we're both doing MUCH better than we were at that point in our lives.

Michelle's son is currently incarcerated. Matt & Tracy (who we know), are alive. How much better they're doing is questionable, and not something I want to comment on.

Suffice it to say, (Sebastian & I) have both been through a lot. We made our films for different reasons (the makers of Sebatian's flick would give him money to get high - then film it. I had a contract (of which I was the only one paid, and even I was screwed).

But, it's over: we're older, and we both want to get on with out lives.

I wouldn't change way happened, but, I don't wish anyone would go through this. It's NOT 'fun.' nor glamorous. Unfortunately, you can't make people learn from your mistakes.

UPDATE: Michelle passed away in May '12. That's all I know (Someone told me. I told Sebastian - who wasn't interested).

"Dope Sick Love" is a really remarkable documentary made for HBO about two pairs of heroin addicted lovers roaming the streets of NYC. I managed to catch it one night by accident and found it absolutely mesmerizing. There is no narration and we never see any interviews with the subjects, the camera just follows them around, like a third eye, completely detached. The people being followed don't even seem aware that they're being filmed! (or, at least, they don't seem to care). The footage is amazingly candid. Some of the most candid I've ever seen. This is as real as it gets. The nuts and bolts of what its like to be on the street and addicted to heroin. We watch them score dope, shoot it, make up, hustle, and even impersonate cops to rob people, and about a million other tiny details that less observant documentary filmmakers would leave out.

Some of the footage is truly horrifying. Like watching one guy frantically searching for fix he lost. I found myself praying that he would find it, just so that his misery would temporarily end. And when he does find it, the guy literally dances in the street.

The cyclical nature of drug addiction becomes very apparent while watching this. EVERYTHING is about getting the next score to these folks, yet the next score seems to be well worth the immense trouble they go through.

I would love to get a copy of this, if anyone knows where it is available. Highly recommended, if you can catch it on HBO.